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Experimental and numerical investigation on the propagation and impact behavior of dry granular flows

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Abstract

The flow of granular materials such as soil, sand, and gravel is a common occurrence in mountainous area in the form of geological disasters, such as debris flows, landslides, and rock avalanches. A solid comprehension of the propagation and impact behavior of granular flow is imperative for the disaster prevention and mitigation. However, due to the intricacy of granular flow, it is difficult to predict the propagation and impact behavior of dry granular flows although some pioneering research works have been presented in the literature. In this paper, physical model experiments and numerical simulations based on the Particle Flow Code (PFC) are conducted to analyze the motion process, accumulation pattern and impact force of dry granular flow, and discuss the effects of slope angle, particle size and baffle height. Based on the high similarity between experimental and numerical results, it indicates that the run-out distance and peak velocity of the granular flow increases with the slope angle and particle size. Rigid baffle can significantly reduce the kinetic energy of the granular flow and decrease the run-out distance. The impact force of granular flow on the rigid baffle increases with the slope angle, particle size, and height of the baffle. The magnitude and distribution of the impact force on the baffle are in accordance with the contact force between the granular material and the baffle. These studies can contribute to better understand the characteristics of granular flow disasters and provide a reference for corresponding protection engineering.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available upon request from the corresponding authors.

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Acknowledgements

The research work herein was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 42102318) and the Program for Professor of Special Appointment (Eastern Scholar) at Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning (Grant No. TP2019037).

Funding

This work was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China, 42102318, Program for Professor of Special Appointment (Eastern Scholar) at Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning, TP2019037.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai, 200444, China

    Zili Dai, Jianghong Wang & Li Wei

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  1. Zili Dai
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Contributions

Conceptualization, Z.D.; methodology, Z.D.; software, J.W. and L.W.; validation, J.W. and L.W.; data curation, L.W.; writing—original draft preparation, Z.D. and J.W.; writing—review and editing, Z.D.; supervision, Z.D.; funding acquisition, Z.D. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Li Wei.

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Dai, Z., Wang, J. & Wei, L. Experimental and numerical investigation on the propagation and impact behavior of dry granular flows. Environ Earth Sci 83, 239 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-024-11542-0

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